The release of DeepSeek’s R1 model at the end of January caused a selloff in stocks exposed to AI infrastructure. In part, this was due to it introducing innovations that showcased impressive reductions in the cost of inferencing under certain conditions – doing more with less, it seemed.

We believe that further reducing the cost of inference, the process of generating ideas or reasoning from AI models, acts as a substantial tailwind for the continued advancement of AI and for the beneficiaries of AI adoption.

Falling cost benefits

It should be noted that the collapsing cost of inference is not a new dynamic and is a key characteristic of technology progression. The cost of inference (measured in dollars per million tokens) had fallen 20x even pre-DeepSeek. Indeed, the open-source nature of Meta’s Llama models, from which R1 itself was party derived, is intended to create these types of innovation at the trailing edge, refining and advancing the leading-edge work.

A falling cost of inference benefits the continued scaling of AI, through cheaper test-time compute as well as adoption through lower cost inputs when running AI inference and implementing it within applications.

Dramatically more capable models at the same cost will speed up innovation or, put another way, the cost of running the current most advanced models will collapse over time. For example, the initial cost for querying OpenAI’s most capable ‘o3’ model at the level that delivered breakthrough performance on the ARC-AGI test, one designed to measure progress towards artificial general intelligence (AGI), was near $3,000 at launch. However, OpenAI API (application programming interface) costs decreased 90% in 2024 and, per recent comments from CEO Sam Altman, are expected to decrease the same amount again this year. While they are not direct corollaries, it highlights the likely magnitude of continued cost reduction over time.

This raises the possibility of introducing beyond-PhD level expertise into workflows at minimal incremental cost. It is feasible to imagine real-time AI assistance across the full range of medical expertise on Intuitive Surgical’s robots, or a researcher having access to cross-disciplinary scientific expertise in real time as they conduct experiments. Low-cost inferencing of more advanced AI will further the ability of companies such as Walmart, Tesco and Dick’s Sporting Goods to solve the most complex inventory management and logistics problems in ways their peers are already unable to match.

The cost coming down means you can drive more ubiquity of what were features that once were sort of premium tier. - CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft earnings call 4Q24

Importantly, we are seeing a continued decline in the cost of inference for all models, not just text-based models such as DeepSeek. It is the greater accessibility of the most capable and the multimodal models, those that can input and output across text, video and speech, that is so exciting. These are the models that offer the greatest utility to companies and we believe the progression to AGI will be led by multimodal models.

Broader AI adoption

While cost is one consideration in a company’s adoption of AI in the short term, we believe that a lower cost of inferencing ultimately acts as a significant tailwind to both future AI development and the democratisation and widespread adoption of AI at a corporate level.

It is paramount to identify companies that are best positioned to capitalise on this falling cost and able to broaden their implementation of AI across their business. We have already seen companies adopt AI to gain a competitive edge, such as London Stock Exchange Group and Publicis where in both cases the use of AI in their products and processes has allowed them to substantially outgrow their peers over the past year and take meaningful market share. It is the ability to capture both outsized profit growth and command premium market valuations that we believe offers the potential for significant investment returns over the long term.

There already exists a significant and growing divergence in the ability of companies to react to these technology developments and capture the disruptive economics of AI rather than suffer significant value destruction. The recent developments will only exacerbate this disparity between the winners and losers, particularly so beyond the traditional technology sector.

The pace of corporate adoption of AI has positively surprised us over the past two years as companies have identified the opportunity the technology presents. We believe identifying companies on the right side of the disruption AI will bring to all sectors is one of the most important investment considerations of the coming years.

It will not be long before companies adopting this technology [AI] start to outperform their peers, and it will not be easy to tell why from the outside. - Sam Altman, CEO OpenAI

The DeepSeek announcement is but one component of the innovation that is so compelling. We have also heard commitments to the latest generation of frontier models from major players including Meta Platforms and OpenAI, with the expectation that this next generation will bring the same advancement as the current one did in terms of capabilities.

We remain incredibly constructive on the outlook for companies that stand to benefit from the adoption of AI. Recent developments have only enhanced our conviction that the democratisation of leading-edge AI will disrupt vast swathes of the global economy and introduce incredible investment opportunities.

Combining our knowledge of the underlying technology developments, our large team’s ability to operate across all parts of the AI ecosystem, and our experience of just how rapidly and meaningfully disruption can occur with markets, is core to our approach for investing across all sectors in this new-look world. It is this opportunity that the Polar Capital Artificial Intelligence Fund was launched over seven years ago to capture and our excitement at what lies ahead is greater than ever.

Risks

  • Capital is at risk and there is no guarantee the Fund will achieve its objective. Investors should make sure their attitude towards risk is aligned with the risk profile of the Fund before investing.
  • Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments may go down as well as up and you might get back less than you originally invested as there is no guarantee in place.
  • The value of a fund’s assets may be affected by uncertainties such as international political developments, market sentiment, economic conditions, changes in government policies, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of countries in which investment may be made. Please see the Fund’s Prospectus for details of all risks.
  • The Fund invests in the shares of companies and share prices can rise or fall due to several factors affecting global stock markets.
  • The Fund uses derivatives which carry the risk of reduced liquidity, substantial loss, and increased volatility in adverse market conditions, such as failure amongst market participants.
  • The Fund invests in assets denominated in currencies other than the Fund's base currency. Changes in exchange rates may have a negative impact on the Fund's investments. If the share class currency is different from the currency of the country in which you reside, exchange rate fluctuations may affect your returns when converted into your local currency.
  • The Fund invests in emerging markets where there is a greater risk of volatility due to political and economic uncertainties, restrictions on foreign investment, currency repatriation and currency fluctuations. Developing markets are typically less liquid which may result in large price movements to the Fund.


Important Information:
This is a marketing communication and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to any person to buy or sell any related securities or financial instruments. Any opinions expressed may change. This document does not contain information material to the investment objectives or financial needs of the recipient. This document is not advice on legal, taxation or investment matters. Tax treatment depends on personal circumstances. Investors must rely on their own examination of the Fund or seek advice. Investment may be restricted in other countries and as such, any individual who receives this document must make themselves aware of their respective jurisdiction and observe any restrictions.

A decision may be taken at any time to terminate the marketing of the Fund in any EEA Member State in which it is currently marketed. Shareholders in the affected EEA Member State will be given notification of any decision and provided the opportunity to redeem their interests in the Fund, free of any charges or deductions, for at least 30 working days from the date of the notification.

Investment in the Fund is an investment in the shares of the Fund and not in the underlying investments of the Fund. Further information about fund characteristics and any associated risks can be found in the Fund’s Key Investor Document or Key Investor Information Document (“KID” or “KIID”), the Prospectus (and relevant Fund Supplement), the Articles of Association and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports. Please refer to these documents before making any final investment decisions.  Investment in the Fund concerns shares of the Fund and not in the underlying investments of the Fund. These documents are available free of charge at Polar Capital Funds plc, Georges Court, 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, Ireland, via email by contacting Investor-Relations@polarcapitalfunds.com or by visiting www.polarcapital.co.uk. The KID is available in the languages of all EEA member states in which the Fund is registered for sale; the Prospectus, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and KIID are available in English.

The Fund promotes, among other characteristics, environmental or social characteristics and is classified as an Article 8 fund under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). For more information, please see the Prospectus and relevant Fund Supplement.

ESG and sustainability characteristics are further detailed on the investment manager’s website: - https://www.polarcapital.co.uk/ESG-and-Sustainability/Responsible-Investing/.

A summary of investor rights associated with investment in the Fund is available online at the above website, or by contacting the above email address. A link to the document can be found here.

This document is provided and approved by both Polar Capital LLP and Polar Capital (Europe) SAS.

Polar Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in the United Kingdom, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States. Polar Capital LLP’s registered address is 16 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5JD, United Kingdom.

Polar Capital (Europe) SAS is authorised and regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) in France. Polar Capital (Europe) SAS’s registered address is 18 Rue de Londres, Paris 75009, France.

Polar Capital LLP is a registered Investment Advisor with the SEC. Polar Capital LLP is the investment manager and promoter of Polar Capital Funds plc – an open-ended investment company with variable capital and with segregated liability between its sub-funds – incorporated in Ireland, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and recognised by the FCA. Bridge Fund Management Limited acts as management company and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered Address: Percy Exchange, 8/34 Percy Place, Dublin 4, Ireland

Benchmark: The Fund is actively managed and uses the MSCI ACWI Net TR Index as a performance target. The benchmark has been chosen as it is generally considered to be representative of the investment universe in which the Fund invests. The performance of the Fund is likely to differ from the performance of the benchmark as the holdings, weightings and asset allocation will be different. Investors should carefully consider these differences when making comparisons. Further information about the benchmark can be found https://www.msci. com The benchmark is provided by an administrator on the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register of benchmarks which includes details of all authorised, registered, recognised and endorsed EU and third country benchmark administrators together with their national competent authorities.

Third-party Data: Some information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources and has not been independently verified by Polar Capital. Neither Polar Capital nor any other party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the data makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the results to be obtained by the use thereof), and all such parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any data contained herein.

Country Specific Disclaimers: When considering an investment into the Fund, you should make yourself aware of the relevant financial, legal and tax implications. Neither Polar Capital LLP nor Polar Capital Funds plc shall be liable for, and accept no liability for, the use or misuse of this document.

AI_Chip

The release of DeepSeek’s R1 model at the end of January caused a selloff in stocks exposed to AI infrastructure. In part, this was due to it introducing innovations that showcased impressive reductions in the cost of inferencing under certain conditions – doing more with less, it seemed.

We believe that further reducing the cost of inference, the process of generating ideas or reasoning from AI models, acts as a substantial tailwind for the continued advancement of AI and for the beneficiaries of AI adoption.

Falling cost benefits

It should be noted that the collapsing cost of inference is not a new dynamic and is a key characteristic of technology progression. The cost of inference (measured in dollars per million tokens) had fallen 20x even pre-DeepSeek. Indeed, the open-source nature of Meta’s Llama models, from which R1 itself was party derived, is intended to create these types of innovation at the trailing edge, refining and advancing the leading-edge work.

A falling cost of inference benefits the continued scaling of AI, through cheaper test-time compute as well as adoption through lower cost inputs when running AI inference and implementing it within applications.

Dramatically more capable models at the same cost will speed up innovation or, put another way, the cost of running the current most advanced models will collapse over time. For example, the initial cost for querying OpenAI’s most capable ‘o3’ model at the level that delivered breakthrough performance on the ARC-AGI test, one designed to measure progress towards artificial general intelligence (AGI), was near $3,000 at launch. However, OpenAI API (application programming interface) costs decreased 90% in 2024 and, per recent comments from CEO Sam Altman, are expected to decrease the same amount again this year. While they are not direct corollaries, it highlights the likely magnitude of continued cost reduction over time.

This raises the possibility of introducing beyond-PhD level expertise into workflows at minimal incremental cost. It is feasible to imagine real-time AI assistance across the full range of medical expertise on Intuitive Surgical’s robots, or a researcher having access to cross-disciplinary scientific expertise in real time as they conduct experiments. Low-cost inferencing of more advanced AI will further the ability of companies such as Walmart, Tesco and Dick’s Sporting Goods to solve the most complex inventory management and logistics problems in ways their peers are already unable to match.

The cost coming down means you can drive more ubiquity of what were features that once were sort of premium tier. - CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft earnings call 4Q24

Importantly, we are seeing a continued decline in the cost of inference for all models, not just text-based models such as DeepSeek. It is the greater accessibility of the most capable and the multimodal models, those that can input and output across text, video and speech, that is so exciting. These are the models that offer the greatest utility to companies and we believe the progression to AGI will be led by multimodal models.

Broader AI adoption

While cost is one consideration in a company’s adoption of AI in the short term, we believe that a lower cost of inferencing ultimately acts as a significant tailwind to both future AI development and the democratisation and widespread adoption of AI at a corporate level.

It is paramount to identify companies that are best positioned to capitalise on this falling cost and able to broaden their implementation of AI across their business. We have already seen companies adopt AI to gain a competitive edge, such as London Stock Exchange Group and Publicis where in both cases the use of AI in their products and processes has allowed them to substantially outgrow their peers over the past year and take meaningful market share. It is the ability to capture both outsized profit growth and command premium market valuations that we believe offers the potential for significant investment returns over the long term.

There already exists a significant and growing divergence in the ability of companies to react to these technology developments and capture the disruptive economics of AI rather than suffer significant value destruction. The recent developments will only exacerbate this disparity between the winners and losers, particularly so beyond the traditional technology sector.

The pace of corporate adoption of AI has positively surprised us over the past two years as companies have identified the opportunity the technology presents. We believe identifying companies on the right side of the disruption AI will bring to all sectors is one of the most important investment considerations of the coming years.

It will not be long before companies adopting this technology [AI] start to outperform their peers, and it will not be easy to tell why from the outside. - Sam Altman, CEO OpenAI

The DeepSeek announcement is but one component of the innovation that is so compelling. We have also heard commitments to the latest generation of frontier models from major players including Meta Platforms and OpenAI, with the expectation that this next generation will bring the same advancement as the current one did in terms of capabilities.

We remain incredibly constructive on the outlook for companies that stand to benefit from the adoption of AI. Recent developments have only enhanced our conviction that the democratisation of leading-edge AI will disrupt vast swathes of the global economy and introduce incredible investment opportunities.

Combining our knowledge of the underlying technology developments, our large team’s ability to operate across all parts of the AI ecosystem, and our experience of just how rapidly and meaningfully disruption can occur with markets, is core to our approach for investing across all sectors in this new-look world. It is this opportunity that the Polar Capital Artificial Intelligence Fund was launched over seven years ago to capture and our excitement at what lies ahead is greater than ever.

Related Fund

Risks

  • Capital is at risk and there is no guarantee the Fund will achieve its objective. Investors should make sure their attitude towards risk is aligned with the risk profile of the Fund before investing.
  • Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments may go down as well as up and you might get back less than you originally invested as there is no guarantee in place.
  • The value of a fund’s assets may be affected by uncertainties such as international political developments, market sentiment, economic conditions, changes in government policies, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of countries in which investment may be made. Please see the Fund’s Prospectus for details of all risks.
  • The Fund invests in the shares of companies and share prices can rise or fall due to several factors affecting global stock markets.
  • The Fund uses derivatives which carry the risk of reduced liquidity, substantial loss, and increased volatility in adverse market conditions, such as failure amongst market participants.
  • The Fund invests in assets denominated in currencies other than the Fund's base currency. Changes in exchange rates may have a negative impact on the Fund's investments. If the share class currency is different from the currency of the country in which you reside, exchange rate fluctuations may affect your returns when converted into your local currency.
  • The Fund invests in emerging markets where there is a greater risk of volatility due to political and economic uncertainties, restrictions on foreign investment, currency repatriation and currency fluctuations. Developing markets are typically less liquid which may result in large price movements to the Fund.


Important Information:
This is a marketing communication and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to any person to buy or sell any related securities or financial instruments. Any opinions expressed may change. This document does not contain information material to the investment objectives or financial needs of the recipient. This document is not advice on legal, taxation or investment matters. Tax treatment depends on personal circumstances. Investors must rely on their own examination of the Fund or seek advice. Investment may be restricted in other countries and as such, any individual who receives this document must make themselves aware of their respective jurisdiction and observe any restrictions.

A decision may be taken at any time to terminate the marketing of the Fund in any EEA Member State in which it is currently marketed. Shareholders in the affected EEA Member State will be given notification of any decision and provided the opportunity to redeem their interests in the Fund, free of any charges or deductions, for at least 30 working days from the date of the notification.

Investment in the Fund is an investment in the shares of the Fund and not in the underlying investments of the Fund. Further information about fund characteristics and any associated risks can be found in the Fund’s Key Investor Document or Key Investor Information Document (“KID” or “KIID”), the Prospectus (and relevant Fund Supplement), the Articles of Association and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports. Please refer to these documents before making any final investment decisions.  Investment in the Fund concerns shares of the Fund and not in the underlying investments of the Fund. These documents are available free of charge at Polar Capital Funds plc, Georges Court, 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, Ireland, via email by contacting Investor-Relations@polarcapitalfunds.com or by visiting www.polarcapital.co.uk. The KID is available in the languages of all EEA member states in which the Fund is registered for sale; the Prospectus, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and KIID are available in English.

The Fund promotes, among other characteristics, environmental or social characteristics and is classified as an Article 8 fund under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). For more information, please see the Prospectus and relevant Fund Supplement.

ESG and sustainability characteristics are further detailed on the investment manager’s website: - https://www.polarcapital.co.uk/ESG-and-Sustainability/Responsible-Investing/.

A summary of investor rights associated with investment in the Fund is available online at the above website, or by contacting the above email address. A link to the document can be found here.

This document is provided and approved by both Polar Capital LLP and Polar Capital (Europe) SAS.

Polar Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in the United Kingdom, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States. Polar Capital LLP’s registered address is 16 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5JD, United Kingdom.

Polar Capital (Europe) SAS is authorised and regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) in France. Polar Capital (Europe) SAS’s registered address is 18 Rue de Londres, Paris 75009, France.

Polar Capital LLP is a registered Investment Advisor with the SEC. Polar Capital LLP is the investment manager and promoter of Polar Capital Funds plc – an open-ended investment company with variable capital and with segregated liability between its sub-funds – incorporated in Ireland, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and recognised by the FCA. Bridge Fund Management Limited acts as management company and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered Address: Percy Exchange, 8/34 Percy Place, Dublin 4, Ireland

Benchmark: The Fund is actively managed and uses the MSCI ACWI Net TR Index as a performance target. The benchmark has been chosen as it is generally considered to be representative of the investment universe in which the Fund invests. The performance of the Fund is likely to differ from the performance of the benchmark as the holdings, weightings and asset allocation will be different. Investors should carefully consider these differences when making comparisons. Further information about the benchmark can be found https://www.msci. com The benchmark is provided by an administrator on the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register of benchmarks which includes details of all authorised, registered, recognised and endorsed EU and third country benchmark administrators together with their national competent authorities.

Third-party Data: Some information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources and has not been independently verified by Polar Capital. Neither Polar Capital nor any other party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the data makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the results to be obtained by the use thereof), and all such parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any data contained herein.

Country Specific Disclaimers: When considering an investment into the Fund, you should make yourself aware of the relevant financial, legal and tax implications. Neither Polar Capital LLP nor Polar Capital Funds plc shall be liable for, and accept no liability for, the use or misuse of this document.